Much like cars, after-sales support is an integral part of selling a smartphone. However, not a lot of brands recognize that.
See, most smartphone brands — especially those who offer products at very affordable price tags — overlook this. Once they made the sale, you’re pretty much on your own. You’d be lucky enough to get at least one major software update, while some get nothing at all.
As a consumer, it’s easy to go with a phone that offers the best specs for a price. What you don’t realize is, while you did get a “bang-for-the-the-buck” device in terms of hardware, you might be giving up good update support.
That said, if you want a real future-proof smartphone that has long software support, you should probably purchase from the brands listed below:
Google (7 years)
Google jumps to this list after the launch of the Pixel 8 series in October 2023. Both the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will receive 7 years of OS updates and security patches, which is the longest guaranteed software support on any smartphone to date.
Samsung (7 years)
One of the most prominent names in the Android space, Samsung provides one of the longest software support in the market — even surpassing Google.
Since the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung promised to deliver 7 years of major Android updates.
The South Korean company is yet to announce if they’ll have a similar implementation on their cheaper smartphones — which could be tough since companies actually spend a lot of money to continue support on old smartphones.
Apple (5 years)
iPhones are known for one reason: expensive. But if you’re a long user, you know that the price you’re paying is actually worth it
See, compared to other mobile devices in the market, iPhones actually offer good hardware that should survive the test of time. What’s more, iOS is possibly the most user-friendly interface in the market.
Oh, and of course, they have one of the longest software support as iPhones receive up to 5 years of major updates.
OPPO and OnePlus (4 years)
Sister companies OPPO and OnePlus announced that they will offer up to 4 years of major updates and 5 years of security patches for some of its expensive phones — matching Samsung’s efforts.
The company’s head in China revealed that doing so will cost them CNY100 million (~Php798.6 million) — so now we know why not a lot of companies are trying to do the same.
Fairphone (7 years)
You may not have heard of them before, but Fairphone is actually a pretty interesting brand. See, their main focus is to help save the environment. Hence, they make phones from recycled and eco-friendly materials. They are also very easy to repair.
And to limit the need for you to upgrade, the company promises to provide up to 7 years of Android updates.
These are some of the brands we know that offer the longest software support. Hopefully, this would become a trend so other brands will follow suit. Of all the marketing strategies they do (dual cameras with only a depth sensor, high refresh rate screens with underpowered CPUs, etc.) this one would actually make a lot more sense.